Partition construction.



No. 684,460. Patented Oct. l5, I901.

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PARTITION CONSTRUCTION.

(Application filed Sept. 10, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'CORYDON T. PURDY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PARTITION CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. (384,160, dated October1 5, 1901.

Application filed September 10 1898. Serial No. 690,637- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CORYDON T. PURDY, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, county of New York, State of New York, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Partition Construction;and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the construction of fireproof partitions inbuildings; and it consists in the construction and combinationshereinafter described and claimed.

Its principal object is to provide a partition for cheaper buildings, inwhich present methods are unsatisfactory.

The ends which I have sought to accomplish are, first, greater economyin construction; second, less weight 5 third, ability to erect withoutemploying masons or using mortar; fourth, greater cleanliness inerection, and, fifth, better fire protection.

Partitions must be thin and light in order to be cheap, as theynecessarily must be in cheaper buildings, like apartment-houses andtenements. Openingsinsuchpartitions must also be framed with wood, andthis makes them unreliable when exposed to fire. The wood burns out andto a greater or less extent the partition, made of thin and relativelysmall sized blocks of material, fallsapart, making a wreck of thepartition when the material itself does not burn or even crumble becauseof the heat. The partition which I have devised is not open to thisobjection. The openings are framed with metal, which is a part of thedesign, and the idea of its construction involves the combining togetherof the parts so well that it will not go to pieces in any emergency. Itis obvious that the lightening of the weight of the partition will inturn lessen the amount of metal required in the floors and that in thisway the Whole structure is cheapened. The surface may also be madesmoother and more regular in outline than in ordinary tile partitions,and on this account less plaster will be required to finish them,efiecting in this way still another saving of cost.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a builtup partition of slabs ofincombustible material of the peculiar form designed by me and having adoor-opening. Fig. 2 is a perpendicular cross-section of a part of suchpartition on the line 0200. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectionshowing the supporting-post and door-frame on line y y. Figs. 4E and 5show the forms of slabs used, with recesses for the reception of themetal stiffening-bars.

Figs. 6 and 7 represent angles in the partition. Fig. 8 is alongitudinal sectional view of the partition, showing the mode offastening the slabs of incombustible material together and inclosing themetal stiffeningbars. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional Viewrepresenting the juncture of one partition with another. Fig. 10 is adetail figure showing one way in which the metal fasteners may be made.

The shapes which I prefer to use must be molded of incombustiblematerial having the essential form shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and asmodified in Figs. 6 and 7. The essential elements of this slab consistin the fact that on one side it is plain, with right angles at theedges, and upon the other side, as at a a, it is channeled. The Width ofthese channels is not material. The raised edges, however, in thecomplete block of Fig. 4 are but half the width of the central ridge at(1 Fig. 5 shows a half-slab with one channel and with the edges a of thesame width as the outer edges Ct C6 of the slab A of Fig. t.

In the construction of a partition the slabs are laid upon edge withtheir plain surfaces outward, the inner edges a of one slab touching theslab opposite on the middle of the central ridge a This is shown in thesectional view, Fig. 2. It is thus obvious that the slabs break jointsperpendicularly, leav- I ing air-spaces B B between them. I employ astiffening-bar fastened to the fioor and the ceiling to support thisformof partition, and an ordinary channel-bar, a section of which isshown in various figures at O O, is suitable for the purpose. In orderto permit the edges a, a and a to be brought together and inclose thestiffening-bars O,notches a are made in the raised edges and centerridges on the inner side of the slabs, into which the bars fit. Afterthe slabs A A are in place, inclosing the stififening-bars, I securethem by through-fasteners D, a form of which is shown in Fig. 10. Thisconsists of ordinary stiff wire looped in the center at d and thenbrought together and continued perpendicularly to the loop and bent outat the end after being put in place. I-Ioles are made in the partitionand the fasteners are inserted through them. The two extremities of theWire bent outward form a clasp, as is shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9. Asmany of these fasteners may be used as is desirable to properly securethe slabs in place. That these fasteners should be metal is an essentialelement of my invention, but their form is immaterial.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a door-opening at W, and in Fig. 3 across-section of such opening on line y y of Fig. 1, with a woodendoorpost W attached thereto, showing the man nor of connecting thedoor-frames. In this cross-section, A A represent the partitionblock,while 0 represents a metal stiffenerbar. This is set so that the blocksA A project slightly beyond at a.

I mains, nevertheless, intact.

The door-frame W may be shaped as shown in the drawings incross-section, with a projecting ridge 7 of the same width as the widthof the stiffening-bar and secured to it by a sufficient number of screwsS. The fastener D may go through the blocks A A and the door-frame, asshown by dotted lines. The wider portion of the door-frame atffispreferably beveled, although the form is immaterial. The entirethickness of the door-frame W is supposed to be that of the partitionitself after the plaster P P is added to the blocks. Outside of thedoor-frame W and the plaster P P may be placed the j amb and casings.(Not shown.) In this construction if the wood burns away in a fire theparts of the partition are not thereby separated and the constructionre- Other details of construction for openings may also be employed tothe same end.

Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views of angles in the partitions, Fig. 6being that of a curved angle and Fig. 7 of a square angle. In thesecases the slabs of incombustible material of which the partition isbuilt would be molded in a curved or angular form, as required, as shownat H and J in Fig. 6 and at K and L in Fig. 7. The mode of arranging andcombining them with reference to the channelbars 0 O and the fasteners Dis suflioiently obvious from the previous description and from thedrawings.

In Fig. 9 I have shown one partition meeting another in which curvedslabs are used. In this case the form shown in Fig. 6 at H must be used.In this case also the arrangement of the channel-bars and fasteners isobvious and needs no description. In Fig. 9

the outside adjacent to the cross-partition is faced with a plain slablike the ordinary blocks forming the body of the partition. Thearrangement shown in Fig. 9 is not the only form-in which one partitionmay meet another. It is obvious that the slab K (shown in Fig. '7) mightbe used in a similar manner in place of the slab marked H.

In a partition constructed in accordance with this invention no twojoints preferably come together. The hollows B B, heretofore referredto, form air-spaces, and this makes the partition nod-conductive ofsound and heat.

The construction of the partition is very simple, and when erected theintegrity of the structure will not depend at all upon the woodconstruction which may be put into doorways or other openings.

What I claim is' 1. A partition formed by a combination of channeledslabs of incombustible material, and metal stiffening-bars fastened tothe floor at the bottom and to the ceiling at the top, the channeledslabs forming a double wallinclosing the stiffening-bars, and so formedandplaced that they form hollow spaces extending across the line of thestiffening-bars, substantially as described.

2. In partition construction, the combination of slabs of incombustiblematerial fastened to each other and held in place with pieces of metal,adapted to be inserted transversely through the partition and into aholding position, substantially as described.

3. A partition formed by a combination of slabs of incombustiblematerial, metal stiifening-bars, and small pieces of metal, the slabs ofincombustible material crossing the metal bars and inclosing them, andthe small pieces of metal binding the slabs of incombustible materialtogether, substantially as described.

4. In afireproof partition, the combination of angle-blocks offireproofing material turning the corners and adapted to break joint, apost on either side of the corner passing through the space between thetiers of blocks from top to bottom, the means for securing the blocks inplace inclosing the post, substantially as described. 4

5. A partition formed by the combinationof channel-slabs ofincombustible material, perpendicular metal stiEening-bars located ingrooves fashioned in the slabs for their ad mission and flexiblemetallic horizontal ties for holding the slabs in position inclosing thechannel-bars, substantially as described.

6. A partition formed by a double wall of channel-slabs of incombustiblematerial, so formed and placed that the joints on the edges shallalternate, and flexible metal transverse fasteners for holding the samein place, substantially as described.

7. In partition construction, the combination of corner-slabs ofincombustible material constructed substantially as described, joint oropening on the immediate line of the metal stiiifening-bars adjacent toeach side of corner is obviated, and means for securing the cornerwhereby a vertical joint at the corthe slabs in position, substantiallyas dener is obviated, and means for securing the scribed.

5 slabs in position, substantially as described. In testimony whereof Isign this specifica- 15 8. In partition construction, the combination inthe presence of two witnesses. tion of straight and corner slabs ofinconi- CORYDON T. PURDY. bustible material forming a hollow space be-Witnesses: tween the slabs, metal stiffening-bars near R. A. PARKER,

10 the junction of the corner whereby a vertical 1 MARION A. REEVE,

